ScienceDaily: Latest Science News


Dating historic activity at Oso site shows recurring major landslides

Posted: 23 Dec 2015 10:41 AM PST

Radiocarbon dating of landslides near the deadly March 2014 mudslide in Oso, Washington show that this is a geologically active region, with other large slides in the relatively recent past.

Absence of serotonin alters development, function of brain circuits

Posted: 23 Dec 2015 10:05 AM PST

The first complete model to describe the role that serotonin plays in brain development and structure has been created by researchers. Serotonin is an important neuromodulator of brain development and the structure and function of neuronal (nerve cell) circuits.

Innovation sheds light on how genetic information travels from cell's nucleus

Posted: 23 Dec 2015 10:05 AM PST

A new research discovery is opening a window on cell biology rarely seen before. The work has revealed a real-time look at how genetic information travels within a living cell. The discovery, observed through a specially designed high-powered microscope, significantly alters current understanding of how RNA is transported from a cell's nucleus -- findings that researchers believe will lead to medical advances.

Mathematical model for animal stripes

Posted: 23 Dec 2015 10:02 AM PST

The back of a tiger could have been a blank canvas. Instead, nature painted the big cat with parallel stripes, evenly spaced and perpendicular to the spine. Scientists don't know exactly how stripes develop, but since the 1950s, mathematicians have been modeling possible scenarios. Now researchers assemble a range of these models into a single equation to identify what variables control stripe formation in living things.

Kidney injury common following vascular surgery

Posted: 23 Dec 2015 10:00 AM PST

Both acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease were common in patients undergoing major vascular surgical procedures and were associated with an increase in long-term cardiovascular-specific death compared with patients with no kidney disease, according to a study.